Number of Canadians Receiving Employment Insurance Declines in February
Employment Insurance, February 2026
On Thursday, Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported that the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits declined 1.6%, or 8,700, to 542,000 in February. This follows a decline of 3.0%, or 17,000 recipients, in January.
The declines in February and January were largely concentrated among individuals who last worked in trades, transport, and equipment operators and related occupations. These decreases offset increases recorded from June through December 2025.
The unemployment rate was 6.7% in February. The rate trended higher through most of 2025, reaching 7.1% in August and September.
StatCan noted that changes in the number of regular EI beneficiaries can reflect shifts among new claimants, people returning to work, individuals exhausting benefits, or those leaving the program for other reasons.
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